Honor
by Extreme-Anime
Summary: Rin works for one of the biggest companies in the world, but she suffers from depression and anxiety as her bills pile higher and higher. Yet when one of the officers of the company loses everything they have to embezzlement charges, she finds herself in a position to either cast aside her own feelings to help him, or to turn her back as he had done so many times before. RinXSess
1. Chapter 1

**It has been a while. I missed this so much. If anyone wants my other uncompleted storied to be finished don't worry. I'm in the process of updating those and they should be up soon. -AF**

Chapter 1-

Beep Beep Beep Be-

A pale hand slid from underneath the thick blankets and, with perhaps too much force, hit the off button on the alarm clock.

Moaning, Rin stretched lazily before tossing the blanket and swinging her legs over the side of the bed. It was early- around 5:30 am- and outside her window the sky was still dark. After checking her phone for any missed messages, she rose from the comfy mattress and walked over to her small closet.

Quickly she selected a plain white blouse and a dark blue pencil skirt. To complete the outfit she pulled out a pair of worn black pumps. She sighed; running her fingers over the scuffs she wondered what bill she could pull money from to buy a new pair.

Laying the outfit out on the bed, she moved into the bathroom and flicked on light. She grimaced as what looked like a cockroach skirted across the floor and under the floor board. Not wanted to think of it, Rin quickly turned on the shower and stripped.

Brown eyes blinked back at her in the dirty mirror. Her hair, mussed from her sleep, fell well past her shoulders and tickled her lower back. Reaching up she placed a hand on her heart shaped face, feeling attractive and yet not at the same time.

Her eyes traveled down her body, past her small breasts and down the flat expanse of her stomach. She was losing too much weight, but between her meds and her limited funds she was helpless to do anything about it.

Tearing her eyes from her reflection, she stepped both legs into the shower and pulled the curtain close. The warm water beat down on her harshly. She tried her best to avoid wetting her hair, feeling too lazy to pull out her blow dryer.

When she had washed herself thoroughly, Rin squeezed her eyes shut. Every morning she told herself that she wouldn't cry about it anymore. A chuckle escaped her lips this time as hot tears betrayed her resolve. Her life was a mess. She hardly made enough money to get by. Her apartment was almost no better than living on the street, she had to resort to taking extra from the cafeteria at work just so she could eat dinner most nights, and her depression was heightening with every passing month.

Sighing, she stepped out of the shower and wrapped a thin towel around her skinny form. Back in her room she fumbled around on the night stand before finding her anxiety meds and washing a few down with a gulp of stale water.

What made her situation worst was the company she worked for. Takahashi Inc. was one of the biggest conglomerates in the entire world. The officers of the company all had a minimal of a 5 billion dollar net worth. Yet, they paid her next to nothing.

She worked a hard 60 hours a week, never getting paid for more than 40, but she put in the extra time because she knew no one else would. It was her job to write up the contracts, transcribe meetings, edit proposals- anything the CEO's needed to keep their day running smoothly.

Yet they paid her as if she was just their coffee runner.

Rolling her eyes, Rin smoothed out her skirt and applied light makeup before grabbing her bag and running to the kitchen. She took a banana before yanking open her front door and locking it behind her. A quick glance at her watch told her she had less than 30 minutes to get to the office by 7:00 am before she was late.

Cursing under her breath, Rin slid into her old car and prayed until the engine finally turned over and it roared to life.

X

By the time she was walking into the huge glass building it pushing 7:10. Balancing 4 cups of coffee and her bag, Rin walked briskly towards the elevator and somehow managed to hit floor 22 with her elbow.

In all her 5 years at this company, she had never been late delivering the coffee. Despite taking her meds, anxiety was beginning to spread throughout her body. When the elevator finally reached her intended floor, she walked as fast as professionally acceptable to the meeting room.

When she walked in, all four men were seating and already getting down to business. The man at the head of the head of the table smiled broadly at her.

"There she is! I was beginning to worry we wouldn't be getting coffee today."

He was the CEO of the company, InuTashio Takahashi. While she didn't think he remembered her name even after 5 years of her getting his coffee, she still saw him as a truly warm man.

"I'm so sorry Sir! It won't happen again."

She handed him his coffee and moved on to the next person on his immediate left.

Vice President Inuyasha Takahashi, one of InuTashio's sons, didn't even glance up from the paper he was reviewing as she set his coffee down in front of him. He mumbled a quick thank you before picking it up and taking a sip.

"Nonsense Rin, everyone is entitled to a bad day. If I recall correctly, you have been punctual for years."

Rin was handing Miroku, Chief Financial Officer, his cup of Joe and at the mention of her name she almost dropped it. Miroku flashed her a smile as he firmly grabbed the cup.

Blushing deeply, she nervously ran a hand through her hair.

She had a small smile on her face when she got to the last officer. When their eyes met however, she immediately straightened up. Sesshomaru Takahashi, President and InuTashio's eldest son, very obviously disagreed with his father's leniency.

He accepted the coffee with a look of disdain in his amber eyes.

"Perhaps your position needs updating."

Startled, Rin clutched her bag close to her chest, unsure of how to respond.

"Come on Sesshomaru, leave her alone." Inuyasha glared at his brother before turning to her and gesturing towards the door.

"Go ahead and continue about your day. Thank you Rin."

She spared one last look at Sesshomaru; he sipped his coffee and busied with the papers in front of him, completely ignoring her.

Sighing, she quietly excused herself. This was a great start to her day.

Breathing calmly she quietly walked down the hall to her desk. There was at least 15 files waiting for her there. Inwardly she groaned.

This was going to be a long ass day.

X

It was around 4 in the afternoon when she finally finished most of her work. Everything was in a neat pile according to which office it had to be delivered to.

Eyeing the names, she decided that she would save Sesshomaru's files for last today. She wasn't too keen on facing him again today at all.

Everyone's offices were laid out in a C shaped designed, which made dropped off their files easy because she had only to follow the curving hall for each destination. She took the heavy stack all at once and started down to the first office. Thankfully the door was open, and she shimmed in towards the huge mahogany desk that occupied the room.

The huge black chair sitting behind the desk was empty. Not thinking twice about it, Rin plucked off the top three flies before picking up the huge stack again. It wasn't until she ran into two more empty offices that she began to realize something was wrong.

Trying to remember if there was a big meeting today that she had forgotten about, Rin walked into Sesshomaru's office with her eyes glued onto the remaining files in her hands. Already half expecting for him to not be here, it caught her by surprised when she suddenly ran into a hard back.

Looking up, she was about to utter an apology but froze. All of the officers of the company were standing in this office. Inuyasha, whom she had ran into, motioned for her to keep quiet.

"Father, you can't be serious."

Sesshomaru was standing behind his desk, facing the faces of his equals. She noted that the tension in the room was extremely intense. InuTashio, unlike this morning, was now emanating anger. He stared at his son with what Rin could only describe as contempt.

She wanted to put the files down and run, but her legs felt heavy.

"It was traced back to your computer. You sold that stock information to several individuals and now we're under investigation from the FBI. This will_ ruin_ my company. "

Rin jumped when Sesshomaru suddenly growled and slammed his fists on his desk.

"I. did. not. do. this. What would I have to gain father?"

InuTashio was so angry that Rin could see his hands were trembling.

"You leave me no choice. Everything traces back to you Sesshomaru. If I don't comply with the FBI then my company is going to face some damaging press as well as incredible charges and citations. As of right now, you are terminated. All of your assets will be frozen effective immediately until the investigation is complete."

Rin gasped, not at all believing what was happening right in front of her.

InuTashio spun on his heels and walked briskly towards the door of the office.

"You have until the end of the day to clear your office and leave."

One by one everyone filed out except for Inuyasha, who only lingered to shake his head at his brother before he too left. Rin wanted nothing more than to disappear, but her inner empathy was starting to kick in.

Sure the man hadn't been the nicest to her over the years, but he had just lost his job and his family all in the same minuet.

Sesshomaru seemed dazed. He ran a hand through his long silver locks before lowering to his chair. He didn't even seem to notice her there until she timidly placed the files on his desk.

When their eyes met, she could have melted. She swore she could see the innocence in his gaze. In that moment she knew he was not guilty of the accusations charged against him. They stared at each other for a moment, until he seemed to finally snap back into reality.

Without saying a word to her, he stood, grabbed his jacket, and brushed past her.

"Prove it."

He stopped short of the door, and turned partially to look at her. Swallowing, she repeated herself.

"I know you didn't do it. So prove it."

He frowned then, slipped on his jacket, and gave her one last thoughtful look.

"I like my coffee black. You never got that right."

And with that last remark he was gone.


	2. Chapter 2

**Onward with the story! -AF**

_Chapter 2_

Rin chewed on a piece of gum as her eyes scanned the article in front of her. Ever since the scandal involving Sesshomaru had happened a few months ago, the company had landed under a different spotlight than it was used to being in.

The investigation uncovered much more than just stock fraud; apparently Sesshomaru had also been skimming customer accounts in what the FBI estimated to total around 36 million dollars. They were spending weeks looking for any information that could lead them to the account in which he had supposedly deposited this money.

Rin sighed. Even though she hated the fact that he had sat in such luxury while she was barely paying bills off of the salary he set for her position, she still felt sympathy for him. She knew nothing, and yet in her heart she knew he didn't do this.

Setting down the article, she closed it to reveal the faces of Sesshomaru and his soon to be ex wife on the cover. Now that the money well was dry, his wife of 10 years, Kagura, was divorcing him. Reportedly she won everything in the proceedings, including their 3.4 million dollar home.

_Gold digging bitch._

She stood up from the stool she was sitting in and sat down on the carpet to pull her sneakers on. It was late – pushing 11- but she knew her favorite Chinese place would still be open. Grabbing her jacket and locking her door, she started off down the sidewalk.

The sky was clear tonight. She looked up at it and breathed in the crisp winter air. It was quite cold, but she didn't mind. The fresh air always made her forget about her problems, if only for a moment. She walked down a few more blocks until she got to her destination.

She ordered her favorite- chicken and Broccoli- before taking a seat to wait. As expected the store was empty, save for her. Outside she noted the people walking by were junkies and prostitutes. A police car drove slowly by and they all scattered down the dirty alleyways.

That made her laugh. 5 minutes later her food was ready, and after asking for more soy sauce she pulled her jacket tighter around her before exiting the store.

A block up, she noticed that the police car had stopped and an officer was engaging someone who she couldn't see. As she got closer she realized he was talking to a bum who was slumped over in the mouth of an alley.

"Sir, you're going to have to more elsewhere. You can't loiter here. "

When the bum didn't respond, the cop touched his cuffs.

"Sir if you don't move I'll have to arrest you."

Feeling sad for the person, Rin kept her head down as she moved to walk past the exchange. Her eyes wondered over to the form of the person as she was halfway by, and she almost dropped her food.

"Sesshomaru?"

The cop looked at her questionably.

"You know this man ma'am?"

Not sure of what to do, she quickly nodded yes. The cop clearly didn't know who this man was, so she played it to her advantage.

"This is my half-brother sir. I didn't realize he was out. He's a little…slow."

The office looked between them, and appeared to buy it.

"Okay. Just get him off the street okay? Have a good one ma'am."

Rin nodded and waved goodbye as he got back into his cruiser and drove away.

Swinging around, she dropped to her knees and softly touched a hand to Sesshomaru's face.

He seemed slightly out of it; His hair was knotty and his amber eyes gaze back at her in an empty way. He was dressed in a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, and was visibly shaking.

"Sesshomaru, do you remember me?"

He only continued to blankly stare.

"Come on, can you stand? Let me take you to where it's warm."

He didn't respond. Anxiety started pouring in. There was no way she was leaving him there. Standing up she unzipped her jacket and moved to take it off.

"What are you doing?"

Pausing, Rin crouched back down to meet his gaze.

"I'm giving you my jacket. I'm not going to let you freeze to death out here."

He nudged her away with a hand, and adverted his eyes.

"Leave me be. I have nothing to live for."

He sounded so broken. The sadness in his voice gripped at her heart painfully. She let her hands cup his cold cheeks, and waited until he met her eyes again.

"Listen to me. I'm not leaving you here. I know what it feels like to not want to get up in the morning. I know that feeling of distress as you realize that everything is falling apart and it seems like there is no way to fix it."

Tears were staring to streak her cheeks. Her heart was beating fast. Her grip tightened on his face.

"But I've got you. I'm here and I'm not leaving. So get up. Or I'll find a way to drag you"

He looked stunned; one of his cold clammy hands reached up to lay over her own.

"No one has ever told me what to do."

He said this is in a defiant manner, but much to her surprise he slowly stood up from the hard ground. Sniffing and wiping her face, Rin only smiled at him.

"I live a few blocks this way."

They walked in silence. He kept his head down, only looking up to briefly glance at her.

In the five years she had known this man, Rin had never seen him so … worn looking. She could see it in his face; gone was the confidence and arrogance of a business tycoon. Now, all she could see in his pale features was defeat.

His shoulders were slumped, his stride had been reduced to a slow stumble, and his arms- once rigid with the grace of a business man- now hung limply with no direction.

He also appeared to have lost some weight.

When they reached the front door of her apartment, she fumbled for her key and unlocked the door. Once inside, she suddenly felt a sense of embarrassment.

"I'm sorry, it's not much but it's warm at least."

Sesshomaru raised his head, and she watch as he looked from the tattered couch in the living room area to the fading and yellowing wallpapered walls. She turned and walked into her small kitchen, grabbing two plates and placing them on the counter.

"Do you like Chinese? I can make you something else if-"

Rin turned around, only to utter an 'oomf' as she ran into a brick like structure. Sesshomaru's hands gripped her hips and steadied her before she could lose her balance and fall.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know you were behind me…"

He said nothing, but when he didn't remove his hands Rin looked up at him tentatively. They locked eyes and she held her breath.

Even with messy hair and dirt streaked clothes, Sesshomaru was still attractive. She swallowed, not used to being so close to a man, and tried to look at anything but his strong jawline and the smooth column of his neck.

When he did finally release her, she took a cautious step back.

"I am… sorry."

Frowning, Rin finished dividing the food between the plates and handed one to him, which he gingerly accepted.

"No it's no problem, I should be more aware of my surroundings!"

She flashed him a smile, but it faltered when he placed his plate back down on the counter and grasped her hands tightly between his own two.

"My father's company has undervalued you, and you only rewarded us with loyalty. I am sorry. You live like this because of me."

_Don't cry, Rin. _

She looked up at him, and he stared back at her.

_Don't…cry_

"Please forgive me. I saw not of my wrongs until I had nothing. I deserved this."

He bowed his head in shame. It was all she could take. Tears freely flowing, she laughed. He seemed confused when she broke their hand contact only to run a hand through his hair.

"I'm also sorry."

When he's face took on a more confused expression, she laughed harder before wiping at her wet cheeks.

"You were the only one who ordered black coffee. So I would always intentionally get a different kind every time so that you'd maybe start to like flavored coffee."

His lip twitched, but Rin could see through his eyes that he was smiling.

He closed the gap between them and wrapped his strong arms around her. They stayed like that, for how long she didn't know.

X

Knocking lightly on the door, Rin waited until she heard his gruff voice before turning the knob and letting herself into her bedroom.

What she saw had all the blood rushing to her cheeks.

Sesshomaru sat on her bed, skin still glistening from the shower he had just taken. An off white towel was wrapped loosely around his hips. She willed herself to look anywhere but his smooth chest and taunt abs. The V of his navel was especially appealing.

When she did finally advert her eyes back to his face, she discovered to her horror that he was watching her with a slight smirk on his face.

Quickly she placed the pile of clothes in her hands on the bed beside him.

"These were my brother's. He left them over here years ago so I doubt he'll mind."

"Thank you, Rin"

She offered a quick smile before excusing herself and closing the door.

She walked back out to her living room and plopped down on the couch.

Exhaustion swept through her body like a plague, and before she could stop herself her heavy lids slowly closed.

The last thing she heard was soft footstep and her name being lightly called as she drifted into a much wanted sleep.

X

Growling.

It was subtle; so much so that she almost believed she was hearing things. Yet it was there, along with an unfamiliar warmth. One that had her body snugging closer and her eyes staying squeezed shut.

Her mind was still a jumble, having just woke up, so for a moment she didn't quite comprehend what was going on.

That was until she realized with a small start that there was a very distinctive hand cupping her butt. She opened her eyes, only to discover that the warmth was Sesshomaru.

She laid tucked between the couch and his body; one of her legs rested over his hip and it was his right hand that grasped her so intimately.

Peering up, Rin realized that her groper was still fast asleep. Her heart stilled. If anyone woke up to find their selves sleeping on their former boss, pandemonium would more than likely had broken out. Rin, however, felt an odd sense of peace.

Instead of screaming or smacking Sesshomaru across the face, she reached up and brushed a few stray hairs from his face. It was odd seeing him in such a way; unable to defend his emotions behind a mask, his soft features were left out for her to soak in.

His face was smooth, lips slightly parted, and his hair was a sprayed out in a tangled mess. She stayed absolutely still. Awake, Sesshomaru had worry lines that wrinkled his forehead and his eyes were those of a beaten man. Asleep, he seemed so relaxed and worry free, and something told her to let him have that little bit of escape.

So she laid there, and pretended that this was appropriate.

She also tried to pretend that she wasn't enjoying it as much as she was.

His body was comfortable yet beneath his t-shirt she could feel his hard muscles.

At 25 years old Rin had never been this close to a man before. The new intimacy was both exciting her body and confusing it all at once.

The hand on her bottom twitched, and reflexively she shifted hips in an attempt to escape it.

In changing her position, her hips came in direct contact with his own, and Rin's face heated to 100 degrees before she jumped up.

The scream she was trying to push out was ended with an 'oomf' when she tumbled off the couch and landed on her back.

Moaning, she reached under her and pulled the remote from its spot beneath her.

When she looked back towards her guest, he was not surprising sleepily staring back at her.

Although she was mortified, her curious mind made her eyes peek back down at the budge in his sweat pants.

"Are you okay?"

Bringing her eyes back up to meet his, Rin shot him an accusatory glare.

"I…I'm not going to sleep with you."

She adverted her eyes then, a bit embarrassed but nonetheless firm on her point. Of course the first time she would let a man spend the night he would try to sleep with her.

A deep laugh filled the room.

Confused, Rin looked back towards her old boss.

He was running his fingers through his unruly hair and looking at her with a light in his tawny orbs.

"I'm not trying to sleep with you Rin. You feel asleep on the couch and when I tried to carry you to your bed you protested."

She frowned and gestured to his lap.

"I felt…you were all…"

His chuckle confused her.

"I just woke up, I haven't had a chance to use to the bathroom yet."

Rin quirked her eyes at him, too embarrassed to admit she had no idea what that even meant. He seemed to realize what was going on though, because in the next moment his smile was gone and he adopted an expression of seriousness.

"You've never been with a man have you?"

She crossed her arms and shrugged, trying to lessen the revelation.

When she didn't answer right away, he pushed further;

"So…Women?"

Surprised, Rin look up just in time to see a flash of disappointment in his gaze. Biting back a laugh, she couldn't help the small giggle that did manage to escape her throat.

"No! Trust me I like men. I guess I've just never made time for them."

Rin fingered her messy hair thoughtfully, wondering if that was entirely true. She had always been career driven, and at a young age her mother had beat into her brain that boys were a distraction. Sure there had been plenty of men chasing her in college, but she didn't remember ever turning her head far enough to even acknowledge them. Back then her ultimate goal had been to get into Takahashi Inc., and she needed nothing less than top marks.

When Rin came out of her reverie, she realized that Sesshomaru was staring at her. He had a faraway look to his expression.

He looked… sad. She wondered if he was thinking about Kagura.

"Um… so did you want to go by your house and grab some clothes?"

"Kagura won't let me on the premise."

Rin Made an O shape with her lips and scratched her arm.

"Well that's okay. I have plenty of clothes that my brother left here. I'll go get something together for you."

She hoisted herself from the ground, flashed the man a smile and bounded off to search the hallway closet. She was knee deep in a bag of clothes when she felt his presence behind her.

"Are jeans okay?"

She held up a pair and proceeded to place the length of the waist again the man standing there.

"Well they're a little big but think I have a bel-."

"Thank you, Rin. "

She looked up at him, caught off guard by his somber tone.

"It's no problem Sesshomaru. Really."

He took the jeans and folded them tentatively.

"I… I usually go to my family's house for Sunday dinner. Would you like to come? I promise they don't bite."

He smiled some then, and Rin suddenly got the impression that in this morning she was witnessing a very rare phenomena from the usually reserved man.

"I'd love to Rin."

Rin smiled broadly up at him, and handed him a blue collared shirt.

"Great!"

X

After an hour drive out of the city and into the less populated surrounding towns, Rin pulled her aging car into the driveway of a quaint house. Outside, flower beds lay bare, unable to bloom any of the usually colorful flowers in the cold weather.

"My God mom lives here. She took me in after…"

She paused.

She had never told anyone her life story before. She briefly wondered what made her feel that comfortable around her former boss.

"Well let's go in. I think I can smell the food from here."

She offered Sesshomaru a small smile before pushing open her door and sliding out of the car. She smoothed her pink sweater over and tucked hair behind her left ear.

When Sesshomaru reached her side, she started to the door and landed three soft knocks.

They were waiting for less than 20 seconds when the turning of a lock sounded and the door swung open.

"Rin! How are you? I see you've brought a friend."

Rin accepted the hug and motioned to the man next to her.

"Mom, this is Sesshomaru. I asked him if he wanted to come. I hope you don't mind."

The elderly woman smiled as she stepped to the side to let them in.

"Of course not! It's very nice to meet you Sesshomaru. Please, make yourself at home. Dinner should be ready as soon as Kagome gets here. I believe she said she was bringing a guest as well."

Though she called this woman mom, Ms. Higurashi was not her birth mother. When she was 11 both of her parents and brother were all killed in a house fire. She had survived because that night she had been sleeping over a friends- Kagome.

When the news broke, Ms. Higurashi didn't blink an eye before taking her in and raising her as her own. She would forever be grateful for that selfless act.

Now, Kagome was her sister and she considered Sota as much of her little brother as Kagome did.

As if he had heard her thoughts, the 20 year old boy appeared in the foyer. His deep voice floated through the air.

"Rin, it's good to see you sis."

He hugged her tightly and then pointed towards Sesshomaru.

"Hey I know you. You're that business guy that-"

Before he could finish Rin quickly elbowed him in the ribs.

"Sesshomaru, this is my brother Sota. Sota, Sesshomaru."

Sesshomaru gave his hand a firm shake but said nothing. He seemed slightly uncomfortable. In an attempt to break the awkward air that Sota had created, she took his hand and tugged him towards the living room.

"I think you'll love my mom's cooking. She's the best cook I know."

Sesshomaru took a seat on the couch beside her; his disposition seemed lighter now that it was just them.

"Do you come here every Sunday?"

Rin shrugged.

"When I can. Sometimes I can't afford the gas though."

Sesshomaru nodded thoughtfully.

"I am getting more and more acquainted with this new reality of having no… money. I regret not doing more for those who went without enough to even satisfy their basic needs."

Reaching out, Rin rubbed his arm. Her cheeks heated up when her fingers traveled the rippled expanse of the taught skin.

"Well, once you're cleared of the charges and they give you your rightfully earned money back, there are plenty of foundations that aim to help those with just that problem. You can't go wrong with those."

"You believe they will find me innocent?"

The question caught her off guard. She quirked her eyes at him.

"You didn't steal that money, or give out that stock information…right? Why wouldn't they find you innocent?"

Sesshomaru frowned.

"I appreciate your optimism, Rin. However, not even my father believes me. They already have me. No one is going to continue to investigate if the question of my innocence isn't being asked."

Anger blossomed through her like wild fire. She stood up then and ran both hands through her hair.

"That's bullshit! There's got to be some way to prove it. I can… I can snoop!"

She returned to her seat and leaned in close to him.

"I still work there, so if you tell me where to look I can see what I can find. Someone in that company has to be responsible right? I'll find them Sesshomaru. "

He stared at her with a look of surprise.

"Rin, I can't ask you to do that. You could lose your job and even bring charges against yourself."

"Then ask me."

Both heads turned toward the doorway at the gruff voice.

"Inu…Inuyasha?"

The vice president of Takahashi Inc. stood before them; he was dressed in slacks and a white button up. He was hand in hand with Kagome, whom Rin rushed to and hugged tightly.

Sesshomaru stood.

"Inuyasha?"

Inuyasha gestured towards Rin.

"If Rin believes in your innocence, even after all the years you treated her like shit, then there's no doubt that you are."

He let go of Kagome's hand to cross the room and grip one of his brother's shoulders.

"I'm sorry for not believing you. I will do everything I can to find the bastard that framed you."

**Hoped you enjoyed! Looking forward to your feedback in your reviews :) - AF**


	3. Chapter 3

Honor- Chapter 3

"So where do we even start?"

Rin glanced between the two brothers; Sesshomaru's demeanor had brighten considerably when Inuyasha had pledge his help to prove his innocence. He looked at her and gave a slight shrug.

"I don't know who would have done it, let alone framed me with it."

He sighed.

"Well, why don't we start with who would have access to your computer?"

Kagome looked to her new boyfriend, but he shook his head.

"My secretary is the only one with access to my own computer, but if we're talking about someone who is capable of breaking into it, then it could be anyone. I don't always take my laptop to every meeting and I'm pretty sure Sesshomaru didn't either."

Sesshomaru nodded in agreement.

"I believe the key here is going to be finding the account in which the money is. The embezzlement paper trail might have be created to lead to me, but whoever did it will no doubt be moving the money."

Rin leaned back in her chair. They all were gathered in the study of Kagome and her family's house. All other members of the house had retired to bed after dinner while the four stayed to formulate a game plan.

"If its records we need to look at, I'm not sure how possible that will be since the FBI has taken most of it."

Sesshomaru's expression took on a thoughtful look.

"Yes but they have not found the account yet, which might mean they are looking in the wrong place. Rin, you handle a lot of the filing there. Do you remember any documents that weren't taken?"

Everyone turned to look at her as she brought a finger to her chin and thought.

"Actually, I think the only records that they didn't take are some of the accounting books."

_Wait a minute. _

She leaned forward and placed her hands on the Oakwood table.

"What if whoever did this skimmed the client accounts, took the money, and disguised it as false accounts payable? That's probably why the FBI hasn't been able to find the money; they didn't take the account ledgers since you don't handle the books Sesshomaru."

A pulse of energy radiated through everyone.

Inuyasha clapped.

"Good thinking Rin. Now we have a place to start. I have a close friend down in accounting. I'll see if he can get me the books undetected for the months they claim you were skimming Sesshomaru. I'll arrange a meeting at my house when I can get my hands on them. Until then, Sesshomaru do you mind staying with Rin? If the press sees you at my place it could be bad."

The man in question, without hesitation and to Rin's surprise, took her hand and placed a soft kiss on the creamy skin.

"If she is willing."

"Of course!"

Rin smiled brightly. Reaching over, she laid a hand on his taunt shoulder.

"Let's get you your name back."

X

Sesshomaru drove them back. Inuyasha had been kind enough to give them some money, and before the night was over she had a fully stocked fridge for the first time in a long time. After a quick shower and getting Sesshomaru a blanket for the couch, Rin sunk into her bed and was peacefully dreaming in a matter of minutes.

It was the warm smells of bacon that awoke her the next morning. She moaned groggily, rolling over until she clumsily stumbled off the side of the bed. Rising on heavy legs, Rin pulled the nearest t-shirt over her head and sleepily stepped out in the hall.

Sesshomaru was in the kitchen flipping an omelet over when she greeted him. When he saw her, his eyes seemed to freeze below her neck.

"Good morning."

He finally seemed to unfreeze and quickly adverted his eyes. He then muttered a quick good morning before turning back to the stove. Confused, Rin took a look down and blanched. She was so used to living alone that she had forgotten it would not be appropriate to just roll out of bed to greet her guest.

She stood in the kitchen with nothing but panties and a t-shirt on; her nipples were clearly visible as she hadn't bothered putting a bra on.

No wonder why Sesshomaru had lingered his eyes so long. She was sure she had turned bright red before she dashed back to her room for more suitable clothes.

When she reemerged wrapped tightly in a robe, Sesshomaru chuckled at her.

"Breakfast is served."

He placed a hot plate in front of her, and Rin gasped. Her little chef had prepared an omelet, blueberry pancakes, home fries and placed next to it a tall glass of cold OJ.

"Wow Sesshomaru, I never pegged you for a cook."

He settled next to her at her small kitchen table and shrugged.

"I cooked a lot before I got married. Kagura was the one who insisted we have a chef prepare our meals instead."

Rin noted the twang of sadness that glossed his eyes. She wondered for a moment if he wanted to talk about her, to let anything out.

Chewing on her omelet, she decided she would ask about her.

"How did you two meet?"

Waiting for his answer, she poured hot syrup over her pancakes before cutting it into little triangles.

"We met in college, both of us were getting our masters; Mine in Business Administration, hers in Biology. One night we were both studying in the library, and I thought she was cute."

Sesshomaru, who was playing with his eggs, smirked in fondness.

"I made up some lame excuse to talk to her. I think I asked if I could borrow her highlighter. We got married not even a year later."

Rin took a sip of her orange juice. This was probably the best breakfast she'd had in years. She couldn't believe his wife would not want this every morning. If she had a man like him…

_A man like him? _

She blushed at that thought, turning her head to the side and coughing a bit to hide it from her guest.

"Sounds like you two really loved each other."

Sesshomaru was quiet. He seemed lost in thought. She wondered if she had pried too far.

"Well, if it's any consolation, I'm well into my twenties and still a virgin."

She laughed when he started coughing on a mouthful of pancakes.

"You, Rin, are the most interesting woman I have ever met."

Still laughing, Rin pinched his chin, which earned her a chuckle from the man. He swatted her hand away and moved to clean up their dishes.

She beamed at him before licking the stickiness off of her fingers. Her eyes followed the strong profile of his back as he carried the dishes to the sink. She spent an awful amount of time checking him out behind his back. The longer she was around him, the more these weird flutters were starting to settle in her navel.

She couldn't deny that he was an attractive man, because he was an extremely attractive man. She sighed. She was sure once this whole thing was cleared up, his no good wife would rip up the divorce papers and come begging him to take her back. Despite knowing he shouldn't, Sesshomaru would do just that, returning to normalcy and once again scowling at her when she got his coffee flavored.

So for now she would enjoy this odd, sexy, totally off limits and out of her league company. She had nothing else better to do anyway.

"Who are you saving it for?"

"Huh?"

Snapping out of her deep thought, Rin looked up at her guest, who was currently washing dishes.

_He does dishes too? Wow Kagura is an idiot. _

"Your virginity. Have to be saving it for a reason at this point, right?"

Rin frowned as she considered his question.

"Well, it just sort of happened. I was always very busy all through school and then I was all about getting to work for your dad's company. I guess I didn't realize that time was slowly ticking by."

When he finished the dishes, he turned and leaned against the counter; sometime during he had splashed water on the front of his sweats. Rin lets her eyes trail down past it, lingering a little too long on where his…

_Oh my goodness Rin! What are you turning into!_

"Were you never…interested?"

As she brought her eyes back up, she could see in his gaze that he had seen her check him out. Her face was instantly 1000 degrees.

There was suddenly a warmth that erupted between her legs. While she had been turned on her fair share of times, never had she been made as uncomfortable as Sesshomaru was making her in that exact moment.

As subtly as she could, she crossed her legs, but her attempts to dispel this idea from her mind proved difficult.

There wasn't really a particular person she was saving herself for. What would be the harm in have one toss in bed with potentially the hottest man in the country?

_Woah, Rin_

She swallowed. He was still giving her an intense look; as if all she needed to say was the word and he'd drop his pants.

"I…I…"

*Beep* *beep* *beep*

_Oh crap!_

In a second she hopped off her seat, and ran towards her bedroom.

"Oh shit I'm late for work!"

Having no time for a shower, she quickly threw off her robe and t-shirt and changed into a pencil shirt with a matching jacket. She snatched a pair of black flats from her closet and was throwing her hair up into a ponytail when she walked back out to the living room.

Sesshomaru seemed amused by her frantic movements. All traces of sexual tension had vanished. Had she been imagining it?

_Horny virgin probs. _

"I'll be back around 5. Call me if you need anything okay."

He nodded and saw her off to the door.

X

Rin glanced at the clock and sighed in relief. It was finally time to leave. She quickly tidied up her desk and gabbed the last few files to put back. She was setting the last one on InuTashio's desk and preparing to leave when his secretary walked by.

Seeing Rin, she stopped and called out to her.

"Rin, could you do me a favor?"

_No no no no no no_

She smiled and nodded.

"You are a life saver. I'm already running late to this meeting and I need to take these receipts down to accounting to be logged. Can you just run it down there for me? It's the 12th floor."

Rin's eyes widened, but then she quickly composed herself and accepted the folder.

"No problem Taki, It's on my way down anyway."

Taki smiled at her before turning and walking briskly down the hall. Inside, Rin's adrenaline was pumping. She knew Sesshomaru had asked her to not get involved, but this was the perfect chance to take a look at some of those books.

She jogged to the elevator and waited patiently for it to arrive before lighting up the number 12 on the floor panel. When it dinged at her destination, she exited the steel box and walked down the hall until she found the door labeled Accounting.

Inside, she spotted one sole person typing away at their desk. She didn't even look up to acknowledge her presence.

"Um, hi. I was told to bring these receipts from InuTashio's secretary."

The lady stopped typing for a moment to regard her.

"Yeah, okay, just leave them in the mailbox over there. Thanks."

With that she went back to her screen. Rolling her eyes, Rin walked over to where the employee mailbox was and plopped the folder into the top bin. She glanced back at the lady, making sure she was not paying her any mind, before taking a look around.

As it happened, it seemed like they had been reorganizing shelves and the books she needed were staked on a desk next to the mail bin. She quickly glanced their bines. Sesshomaru was accused of skimming customer accounts for about three months.

There was no way she could leave undetected with all three months. Moving fast, she grabbed the one on top, March, and stuffed it into her work bag.

She was sweating bricks as she walked back past the woman, but once again she didn't even look up to say goodbye.

Rin took a huge breath when she safely made it to the safety of the hall. A giddy giggle escaped her. Sesshomaru won't believe this.

She rode the elevator to the ground floor and practically ran through the parking garage to her car. After a twenty minute drive, she pulled up in a parking space in front of her apartment building and fumbled for her keys until she reached her door.

"Sesshomaru?"

She threw her bag on the floor and fished out the March binder she had snagged before closing the door behind her and looking around.

When she didn't see him, she started walking to her bedroom, assuming he was in there taking a nap.

Balancing the binder in one hand, she slowly pushed the door open.

"Sesshomar-ACK"

He was in her room alright. In fact, she had opened the door precisely at the same time he was dropping his towel to get dressed.

Her perverted eyes of course went directly to his crotch, and her jaw nearly hit the ground. Turning around and muttering an apology, she all but slammed the door shut.

_Scarred. She was scarred. _

She stumbled over to the couch and brought her knees up to rest her face on. Even with her eyes squeezed shut, the image of his naked body was seared there like a picture.

She heard the door open, and tentatively looked up to meet his gaze. Thankfully he was fully dressed now in a pair of khaki shorts and a white button up.

"I didn't see anything."

He, of course, smirked as he sat down next to her.

"Of course you didn't. I also didn't see those anxiety pills in your bathroom."

Gasping, Rin eyed him suspiciously.

"Snooping in my things while I'm at work? Classy."

The man in question seemed to once over her before settling back into the worn cushions of the couch.

"I was merely looking for toothpaste."

She bit her lip, wondering if he was silently judging her.

"I don't always take them. Just when I'm feeling…overwhelmed."

She stared back at her knees.

"I was only trying to jest Rin. I did not mean to offend you in anyway."

Looking back up, she offered him a small smile.

"Actually, having you as company I haven't even felt the need to take them. So thank you."

They sat in a comfortable silence for a moment, before she suddenly remembered the binder.

"Oh! Look!"

He picked it up and read the bind. His eyes snapped back to her.

"Rin, I asked you not to involve yourself. I won't have you face charges for me."

Rin rolled her eyes.

"I'm grown Sesshomaru. I can make my own choices. Besides, if I do get fired you can just hire me back once you're back. Maybe even put in a raise for me"

At her grin he signed, sitting the binder on the small black coffee table before meeting her eyes.

"I cannot thank you enough Rin. I don't know where I would be if not for you."

She gestured to the records.

"Don't think me yet. Let's call Inuyasha and get to work looking through these."


	4. Chapter 4

Honor- Chapter 4

"There has to be something here."

Rin tossed papers down on the floor in frustration. Her living room was a hot mess. Papers covered nearly every inch of carpet. Three other people sat, looking just as discouraged as she must have. Inuyasha rubbed his tired girlfriend's back as she leaned against him. It was nearly two am.

For the last week the team had gone through the records nearly a dozen times, looking for inconstancies, or any fraudulent looking accounts that the suspect could have put the stolen money, but to no avail. They were all thoroughly exhausted.

Sesshomaru stood up and smoothed his hair back.

"Let's get some sleep. We can't keep going at this right now."

Inuyasha and Kagome nodded in agreement. Frustrated, Rin plopped down and she started on a different stack.

"I'm not tired, I'll keep looking."

Inuyasha casted Sesshomaru a look of concern. Sesshomaru nodded, and saw them to the door; he didn't close it until he saw them safely drive away. When he walked back over to where she was sitting, Rin ignored his prods when he attempted to bring her to her feet.

"Leave me be Sess."

She knew she was acting irrationally, but something in her desperately wanted to solve this for him. She felt a hot tear fall down her cheek.

"Rin…"

"It's not fair Sesshomaru. Bad things like this don't happen to good people. You don't deserve this. I've learned so much about who you are in a week, more than I learned in five years working for you. Your ex-wife took you for everything you had and you hold no contempt for her. Your father won't even hear you out. Being with you this past week has been the most fun I've ever experienced. Your food is amazing, you drove out in the rain when I was sick two nights ago to get medicine for me, yo…"

Warm. His lips were so incredibly warm against hers. She hadn't even noticed when he had kneeled down beside her to claim her mouth. When he pulled back, she couldn't help the whine that tumbled out.

"Rin, all my life I have had money and power. Had I not had it taken away, I would not be here with you. I can assure you, I've not be happier in my entire life. You are what I don't deserve."

She could feel her eyes well up. Here was this man, telling her that he'd never been happier, as they sat in her tiny apartment, surrounded by shaggy furniture and the occasional roach, and in a place where she was pretty sure down the street she could buy crack.

"You're insane."

He chuckled.

"You're the one who took a stray dog home."

With that he leaned in and captured her lips once more. This time she brought her arms up to wrap around his neck. In one swift motion he had her in the air, and she wrapped her legs around his hips instinctively, grinding tentatively against him.

He broke the kiss in response, moving his hands from the underside of her legs to fully cup her butt.

"Tell me to stop now Rin. If this isn't what you want."

They had made it to the bedroom and he had laid her on the bed, towering above her as he waited for her answer.

She sat up suddenly, forcing him to retreat from his position, and she saw the look of disappointment that crossed his face. It quickly changed, however, when she pulled her shirt from over her head and undid the clasp to her bra.

He pushed her back down and settled between her legs, kissing her softly before trailing kisses down her neck. Rin moaned, in absolute heaven, and with her legs wrapped tightly around him, she knew there was no one else she'd rather give herself to than him.

X

The dull ache between her legs was what woke her up the next morning. Moaning in slight discomfort, she turned her body and snuggled closer to the source of warmth next to her. In his sleep, one of Sesshomaru's arms wrapped protectively around her waist and pulled her deeper into his space.

She smiled at the feeling of his cool exhales tickling her forehead.

Craning her had upwards, she spent a moment starting at his peaceful features before closing her eyes once more. She thought about their long night, filled with sex and sweet mutterings and caresses. Instantly a warm sensation pooled below her navel.

In her many years of involuntary abstinence, she had heard various stories from countless friends about how _it_ was. In fact, most of women she knew complained more than praised. Apparently, most men weren't adequate lovers.

_Sesshomaru, on the other hand. _

She suddenly had to bit the insides of her cheeks to swallow back the moan that crawled up. Beneath the sheets, her sleeping giant had adjusted his hips, bringing his semi-hardness to rest against her left thigh.

Rin looked up at his face once more. It all almost seemed too perfect to be true. In a sense, she knew it was. If they didn't find the evidence to clear Sesshomaru's name, he was going to prison for probably a long time. On the other side, if they are able to clear him, he would probably go back to his life of power, money, and even Kagura, and she'd be left to regret laying here with him in the first place.

During her musings, Rin didn't feel the hand loosening from her waist until its fingers softly gripped a mound of flesh, palming her nipple.

This time she couldn't keep the moan from escaping.

"You're not asleep!"

The man next to her chuckled. He released her breasts only to push her firmly onto her back and rise over top of her. His amber eyes gleamed lustfully, which sent another wave of heat through her body and down between her legs.

"Rin…"

He leaned down and took her lips in a sweet kiss before placing small kisses on her jawbone and the column of her neck. Beneath the sheets she could feel him rise her hips and the tip of his fully awakened member.

She was wrapping her arms around his neck and closing her eyes in preparation for him when it hit her.

It hit her like a ton of bricks actually. How could they have been so stupid!

All previous feelings of arousal gone, Rin pushed Sesshomaru off of her and jumped out of bed.

"I know where to look!"

Before her confused lover could get a word out, she threw open the door and all but ran out into the living room where the papers of the accounts payable ledgers lay haphazardly from the night before.

Still naked, she made a quick scan of several pages and confirmed her suspicions. She grabbed a few and returned to the room where Sesshomaru was now sitting on the edge of the bed with a grumpy expression. He had donned a pair of boxers, but Rin could see his erection was still present.

_Oops_

She offered him an apologetic smile.

"I'm sorry, it's not that I, uh, didn't want to, but look at this. More specifically look at the entries for The Window cleaner, Inc. company. Notice something?"

He took the papers from her and quietly inspected them. After a moment, he looked back at her; his grumpy expression was replaced with one of disbelief.

"That's how they got away with be undetected."

Rin clapped in excitement.

"Yes! They were taking regular companies names that were common on the ledgers and making very small changes to them to create new accounts. However in accounting, everything is very precise and we know that accountants wouldn't make the mistake of putting both The Window Cleaner, Inc. and The Window Cleaners, Inc. That's why we kept missing it; the changes are so small. It's really genius actually. The fake names have to be connected to the account that has all of the stolen money!"

Her heart was pounding a mile a minute inside of her ribcage. She beamed at the silver haired man as she sat down on the bed beside him.

"That's it Sess. Once they find the account and the person behind this, you're off the hook."

A moment passed by without him saying anything. He stared at her; amber orbs peering into her so deeply that she knew she was blushing when she finally turned away.

"Marry me."

Sucking in air, she whipped her head back up so she could once again make eye contact. His face was perfectly serious. She struggled to find the breath to form words.

"What?"

"Marry me, Rin."

Looking into his eyes, this time Rin found herself laughing. She grabbed a pillow with both hands and playfully hit him with it.

"Come on Sesshomaru. Anyone could have figured out the accounts, I'm not actually a genius I promise you."

Sesshomaru grabbed the pillow from her grip. In one fluid motion he was on the floor in front of her, holding both of her hands in his.

"I am very serious."

Her smile faded. Once again her heart began to beat out of her chest.

"Bu… but, what do you mean? You don't even know me we-"

"It's true that even though I have known you for years Rin, I've only just learned a small piece of you in this last week. But in all this time, you were the first to say to me I was innocent back in my office on that day months ago. You found me ready to give up on the streets, and despite how I've treated you in the past you still brought me to your home. Because of you, my brother now stands by me. And now, this morning, you've figured out what could be information that will change the course of my life. I don't know why, but you did all of that and then allowed me to be your first. I would be the dumbest man in the world if I did not ask you to marry me."

By the end of his words, tears were threatening to tumble down her rosy cheeks. Her heart was filled with so much joy that this man would even be acknowledging her presence, let alone be asking her to be his wife.

"But I'm so plain. I could never make you happy, as much as I'd want to."

She lowered her head so that her chin touched her chest; hot tears began their decent down her face. In an instant, he was drawing her into his arms and the familiar weight on his lips pressed against her own.

When he pulled back, he chuckled at her small smile.

"Rin, I am, right now, the poorest man you have ever known. And because of you it has been the happiest time I've ever had. Now say yes, or I shall have to tickle you until you do."

Rin shrieked and pulled away from his creeping fingers, escaping to the middle of the bed, giggling when he slowly advanced upon her.

"Yes yes, you crazy man. I will marry you."

When he reached her, he pushed her back and grabbed her hips once more so that her pelvis rested underneath his.

"Good."

He took both of her hands and with one hand held them firmly above her head. She watched with shaky breath as his other hand reached down between them to free himself from his boxers.

"Plan on running away again?"

She shook her head no, gasping when he pressed lightly at her entrance.

"Good."

He claimed her lips once more as he fully entered her. Her body melted into his and her mind filled with pleasure induced oblivion.


	5. Chapter 5

Honor- Chapter 5

It took one carefully placed clue by Inuyasha to the FBI for them to find the fake accounts in the payables ledgers.

Anthony Kavence.

He was a 24 year old man who worked in the accounting department. It also came out that he was Kagura's lover. Love had inspired him to sell stock information and embezzle millions into fake accounts and pin it on her husband.

Or so he says.

He had been arrested almost two weeks ago, and Sesshomaru's name, title, and assets cleared and reinstated a week after that. Huge press conferences were held; news vans lined the company's perimeter nonstop ever since, and almost every magazine was writing articles.

InuTashio made a public apology for not defending his son, as did unsurprisingly his wife Kagura. She of course claimed Anthony was not her lover and so far, no evidence was found linking the two.

Rin frowned, and turned over in bed. Her alarm clock read 2:33pm. She tried squeezing her eyes shut but her mind buzzed so loudly with thoughts that eventually she just sighed and kicked the sheets off of her body.

She should be happy that he was fine and not going to prison, but her heart ached sadly.

She should have known better than to accept a marriage proposal from a man overly grateful for her help. After all, his divorce has not yet been finalized and he was still technically married.

Her stomach turned.

At first, it seemed it was going to be perfect. Sesshomaru and she had laid around her apartment the week of the arrest; laughing, sleeping in, and having sex all hours of the day.

Then, when his money came back and he was welcomed back into the company, he told her that he'd be back to get her that night. When she asked where they were going, he had just kissed her nose, turned, and left.

That was exactly a week ago from today.

She hadn't heard from him since.

"Rin, you're such an idiot."

She pulled on a pair of shorts and a tank, brushed the knots out of her hair and then went to raid the fridge for something to eat.

She settled on a tube of yogurt before closing the door and settling on the couch.

The first two days, after failed attempts to find him at work, she had settled to brooding worriedly at her desk. On the third day, a Wednesday, She had been returning files at the end of her shift when she finally spotted her elusive silver haired lover. He had been standing at the elevator, but he didn't notice her because in front of him was Kagura. Her heart had stopped. She couldn't hear their conversation as they were out of earshot, but she didn't miss Kagura's hand snaking around Sesshomaru's back as they entered the elevator. Or that big grin on her face for that matter.

She had held it in. She left the office, found her car, drove home all in complete silence. It wasn't until she was home and in the shower did she let go and cry. That night she had cried herself to sleep.

She hadn't been to work since. She wondered, taking one last slurp of her yogurt, if anyone even noticed.

Sighing again, Rin threw out the wrapper and walked over to the front door. She pulled on a pair of old black sneakers and laced them up tightly.

"Okay, a quick run, and then search the classifieds for a new job."

She threw her hair up into a sloppy pony tail, and stretching one arm over her head, opened the door with her other.

She hadn't taken two steps before her entire frame hit the form that was standing in her doorway.

Cursing, Rin stumbled backwards, gasping when she felt strong hands grip her waist to steady her.

She knew those hands. Blinking in disbelief, she locked eyes with amber ones.

"Sesshomaru?"

He was dressed in a black suit that looked to be worth three times her rent. His white button up was pristinely white; golden cufflinks and a flashy gold Rolex were more than enough to paint a perfect picture of wealth.

In other circumstances, Rin was sure she would have flooded her panties at the sight; instead, she blinked away the hot tears that threatened to spill and stepped back out of his reach.

"Please go."

She started to close the door, but he grabbed her hand and pushed her backwards until he was inside.

"Rin, let me expla-"

"There's no need. I understand, truly I do. I don't hold a candle to your wife. She's much more beautiful, much smarter, more experienced than I-"

The door slamming shut made her jump and snap her eyes upwards; Sesshomaru's eyes were fiery. She took a hesitant step back; he advanced upon her more quickly however and before she knew it he had backed her up into a wall. Both of his arms blocked her in, and she was forced to meet his burning gaze.

"She is not my _wife_ any longer. If I could explain."

Rin bit her lip, but nodded.

"When I returned to the company I was told by my lawyers that while all other matters were seen to, the matter of the divorce was still pending. News of Kagura's secrete affair caused my lawyers to investigate and they found some evidence. Kagura agreed to withdraw the original divorce papers and sign a new one that would keep said evidence from getting out. During that time they advised that I not muddle the waters with an engagement announcement. I'm sure Kagura would have tried to come after you for some leverage, so I regretfully had to keep my distance."

At the last part his eyes softened and he leaned in to kiss her, but she turned her head and he kissed her cheek instead.

"Rin…"

"I saw you with her. She was touching you and smiling."

She lowered her eyes. A hand rose to softly grip her chin and he made her look back at him.

"We would have never been able to serve her with the new divorce papers for the immediate dissolution, so I did let her believe I could forgive her. That night she was served in the parking lot and she signed the papers immediately to avoid further persecution by the FBI."

Her heart fluttered uncertainly. She wanted to fall into the happiness that he was here, standing before her, but the fear of being wrong again kept her hesitant.

"Okay. I believe you. But it's been days. Why didn't you come after then?"

Sesshomaru released her and took a step back. She almost whined at the loss of warmth, but bit her tongue instead.

He placed his right hand in his suit pocket and out pulled a velvet box.

Her heart dropped.

"It wasn't ready until today. I couldn't face you again without being able to slide this onto your finger."

The air around them suddenly became lighter; a corner of Sesshomaru's mouth upturned as he surveyed her reaction.

"But if you're still upset with me, maybe I should go."

Rin quickly closed the gap between them and snaked her arms around his waist, successfully halting him as he backed up. A deep breath of his musky cologne had her shuddering her approval. She peered up at him, giving him what she hoped was her very best pouty lip.

"I'm sorry. I had no idea what to think Sess."

He leaned down to kiss her, and this time she let him; a smile erupted on her lips at the familiar contact.

"I hope my _fiancé_ will trust me more in the future, hm?"

She giggled with excitement as he popped open the small box and pulled out the biggest diamond ring she had ever seen in her life. The cool feeling band sent shivers through her body as he slide it onto her ring finger.

She admired it for a moment before throwing her arms around his neck and jumping up to wrap her legs around his torso.

He smirked at her as he fully gripped her butt.

"Let's go."

He carried her to the front door, kissing her neck all the way there, then set her down to open the door.

"Where are we going?"

She grinned at him, watching with bemused eyes as he allowed her to wrap her finger around his.

Outside, a shiny black Mercedes sat waiting.

"We're going home."

Rin raised an eyebrow.

"What do you mean? Should I…pack or something?"

He didn't answer her; instead he released her hand and descended the stairs towards the car.

When he reached his car, he opened the passenger door and peered back up at her with a glint in his eye.

She took one last look into her dark apartment before closing the door firmly shut and bounding down the steps towards the man who held her future.

** -Fin-**


End file.
